Despite being groomed, the 12-year-old girl was facing a police investigation for sending an indecent image.

What is the law for under-18s and nude photos?

The Childline website states:

"When you’re under 18 it’s against the law for anyone to take or have a sexual photo of you – even if it’s a selfie.
"This means that if you pressure someone into taking a photo or you share a sexual photo with someone, you’re breaking the law. The police have the power to decide whether it’s for the best to record what’s happened or to take things further. But the law is there to protect young people, not punish them.

"If you’re both under 18 and in a healthy relationship it’s unlikely that the police would want to take things further."

An officer from the Child ­Exploitation and Online Protection unit, part of the National Crime Agency, told her mum that the girl could be charged.

At the time, a spokesman said: “The NCA always puts victim care and the safeguarding of children and young persons first and foremost. We work with police forces to ensure robust action is taken against individuals with a sexual interest in children and young persons.”

Creating or sharing explicit images of a child is illegal even if the person doing so is a child themselves.

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